Launchpad & Slam Dunk have teamed up for a new Youth Showcase event, featuring 5 artists all aged 18 and under based in West Yorkshire performing at one of Leeds most prestigious grassroots music venues.
The first Youth Showcase takes place on Saturday 21st June at The Wardrobe, Leeds, featuring 5 bands, all still in school:
DukTape
Vertigo
Roadkill
The Bellatones
Ayrborne
This showcase brings them together and provides audiences, friends and family the opportunity to support emerging talent, with quick fire sets of their own original music, between 7pm and 9.30pm.
The event is part of the Launchpad Futures initiative, which has seen school visits across Yorkshire to educate young people on music industry career pathways, a collaboration with Discover Creative Careers on a video following artist Dilettante and the different roles and jobs that support artist careers, and open mic performance opportunities with Leeds Libraries and Leeds Art Gallery.
Following the launch, the aim is for the showcase to become a regular event, with an open call for young performers to feature, linking to other youth centred initiatives in the city, with the intention to create a pathway to young artists to build performance opportunities and pathways to getting ahead in the music industry.
Launchpad is an emerging talent development program that supports artists and emerging professionals throughout Yorkshire, delivered by Music Local. We have supported over 200 individuals through their music careers, including Mercury Music Prize winners, English Teacher and now include artist management, PR, publishing and a record label in partnership with EMI North as part of our offer. Launchpad Futures supports young people to discover music careers, progression pathways and uncover the music sector in Yorkshire, connecting local industry, schools, music hubs and local government skills & employability teams.
Slam Dunk is the UK’s biggest independent rock promoter, founded in 2001 as a club night held at The Cockpit in Leeds, championing the pop-punk, emo, punk rock, ska punk, hardcore and metalcore music scene. Today, hosting the largest independent rock festival in the UK – Slam Dunk Festival, as well as hundreds of shows and tours across the country
Launchpad is delivered by Music Local, and is supported by Youth Music, with public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, PPL Giving, Leeds City Council funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and PRS Foundation's Talent Development Partnership supported by PPL